VC Connect #4: Our Voices

Welcome to VC CONNECT, an online destination through which just some of the hundreds of films and media productions created by Visual Communications can be found for your enjoyment. Featured films include some of our VC Classics, as well as films made in the Digital Histories production program for older adults and the Armed With a Camera Fellowship for Emerging Artists. Each week, we’ll roll out a new batch, specially themed for our audience’s diverse cinematic palate. Click here to watch the complete showcase.

The selection of short films below was curated for Grand Park’s Our L.A. Voices, a spring pop-up Arts+Culture Fest that celebrates the diverse and powerful artistic voices in Los Angeles County. These films premiered on Grand Park’s digital platforms from Saturday, April 25 - Sunday, April 26, 2020; but don’t worry, you can watch them all again below!

Our Voices: The Unseen El Lay

As exemplified in this collection of Armed With a Camera films, “Los Angeles” is more than a city; it is a construct that shifts and quakes with each vision, each oppositional perspective, by Asian Pacific Americans. Spanning the breadth of AWC’s portfolio of nearly 150 short films produced since 2002, we are able to reveal just a glimpse into the visions and perspectives of native Angelenos and how each of them view their lives in the City of Angels.

Thank you to the following sponsors for their ongoing support of the Armed With a Camera Fellowship: Sony Pictures Entertainment, SAGindie, West One Music Group, Final Draft, Los Angeles County Arts & Culture, Flash Cuts, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Writers Guild of America West.

EVERYTHING WAS GOOD WHEN WE WERE YOUNG (2005) by Sasha Hsuczyk
A stoic businessman wakes one morning to what he thinks is yet another bleak day. But unlike all the previous days, this one takes an unexpected turn of events, where he is taken back to the days when everything was good when he was young.

MEET FRIENDS, SWAP CHILDHOODS (2008) by Tony Hoang
A personal documentary that explores the demise of small business opportunities for Latin and Asian immigrant families at a swap meet in the San Fernando Valley.

PORRIDGE (2019) by Leatrice Ching
Eric was looking forward to sharing a rare family dinner with a friend, but it all turns sour because Dad is in a bad mood. And as difficult as it may be, Eric understands that Dad’s way of apologizing isn’t going to be the vocal kind.

POST NATYAM (2005) by Tina Bhaga
A new generation of desi women takes ownership of Bharatanatyam and their bodies. Performance artist Shyamala Moorty confuses and infuses classical Indian dance with personal and political experiences.

Q & X (2013) by Zumi Mizokami
Qboi-fly, a strange and awkward alien delivery guy, collides with the most unpredictable human, Xara. Finding curiosity in each other’s voltage, the two instigate mischief and a fresh stream of escapades.

SEARCHING FOR DON “HALF-PINT” SANTOS (2011) by Julius Sambajon, Jr.
A short documentary that takes the audience on a journey to find Don Santos, an Asian American who was a former member of 1990’s R&B group, Immature.

SLIP AND SLIDE (2010) by Emily Lu
After being excluded by privileged children to play on a Slip ‘n Slide, John scours the alleyways of the city, looking for materials to assemble his own makeshift Slip ‘n Slide.

TO LIGHT (2011) by Sheldon Chau
The filmmaker’s father recounts the conflicts he faced when his family was forced to flee Vietnam in the 1970s. He reveals for the first time — even to his son — an account of sacrifice, struggle, and in the end, true love.

YAH YAH (2002) by Yiuwing Lam
The bonds between grandfather and grandson are strong, and yet so very fragile.

Our Voices: Little Tokyo and Beyond

VC’s innovative Digital Histories program forms the jumping off point for a considered exploration of what constitutes a “place.” Is “place” simply a “location?” A “venue?” A “safe space?” A “meeting ground?” Or is it something more abstract? Through this selection of works, we explore the different meanings of “space” and hopefully, we’ll arrive at some unique conclusions that may surprise many of you.

Thank you to the following sponsors for their ongoing support of the Digital Histories program: Sony Pictures Entertainment, West One Music Group, Keiro, Union Bank, and Aratani Foundation.

BINGO! (2014) by Chicky Otani
Everyone wants to win at Bingo. What prizes will you get?

BO PEEP IN THE CITY (2014) by Cathy Uchida
Follow the filmmaker as she and her dogs go sheep-herding in Long Beach, CA.

FOUNDING A FILIPINO CLUB (2011) by Arlene Maala
A profile of Pauline C. Maala, who established the Filipino Association of San Bernardino County in 1960.

MY FIRST LA MARATHON (2009) by Jim Anzai
For a retired widower, the LA Marathon is as simple as mind over matter — with the support of good friends and family.

THE RED TENT AND ME (2007) by Michi Tanioka
At a church, a special group of the larger congregation convenes to talk openly and honestly about what is on their minds — SEX!

A TALE OF TWO CHOWS (2014) by Gerry Chow
40 years after graduating from a predominantly white high school in Los Angeles, filmmaker Gerry Chow interviews Calvin Chow, a classmate who shares the same last name.

TORRANCE KENDO DOJO (2016) by George Takaki
Discover what goes on in the Torrance Kendo Dojo, a very special place. Is it simply a place where swordsmanship is practiced, or is something else also occurring?

A VISIT TO ARVIN, CALIFORNIA (2005) by Jun Aoki
Where in the world is Arvin, California? The filmmaker discovers her birthplace and recounts her family history.